update from down under.

[patrick newberry]

.My previous concrete bond question was probably more of an effort to
generate some activity on 
the cob list. Hell I haven't  got the foundation started yet....anyway 
the Knock Knock is anyone there seemed to do the job just fine.
 
The asphalt emulsion test I did was just painting the stuff on top of the
earth plaster. 
I agree about the wide overhangs and in fact plan on putting a screen-in
porch all the way around my building so again just thinking out loud. I
figure this will be a nice place to hang out during  the hot Georgia
summers. but it really did stick quite well to the cob  so it could be used
to treat the bottom foot or so to help protect it from water. Plus it was a
nice shade of black. I won't do much but I will put in one sectionjust to
see if it peals off at some point. (experience is the best teacher)

I'm not going to get into it now but I hope to be working on my foundation
this winter
(yup we can get 50's and 60's even in winter here!)

Plus I plan on making arrangements for bringing in a truck load of clay.
I am guessing here but a dump truck holds about maybe 15 tons of clay.
being that this is about 20 percent of the cob mixture, I will obtain the
sand on site,
actually I plan on getting it from our road. We live about a mile down a
sand road and the county roads 
folks come down every so often and level out  the road which results in a
wall of sand on both sides of the 
road not unlike the wall of snow for you northern folks when the snow plow
come by in winter.
It has very little organic material in it and it is very easy to dig. OK so
now I can dig up to 60 tons 
(oh my god that sounds like a lot) of sand. I haven't a clue as to calculate
the amount of straw in bales
but anyway what I begin to wonder is how long of a wall can one build with
75 tons of cob?
well I guess I am going to find out. (I know how high and wide ...8 foot
high and 1 1/2 feet wide)
Since I have to bring these things to the site, I was just trying to figure
on how much to get before hand.
of course I haven't taken into account the floor or my fireplace!

Take care 
Pat